BT Infinity doubles top speed to 76Mbps down & 19Mbps up

BT’s top-tier fibre-optic broadband speed will be up-to-76Mbps for new sign-ups from tomorrow with an upstream speed boost for its basic fibre package.

The April 12 upgrade will double the BT Infinity 2 service from up-to-38Mbps downstream to up-to-76Mbps downstream, with 19Mbps upstream.

BT Infinity 1 stays at 38Mbps downstream, but its upstream speed rises five times from 1.9Mbps to 9.5Mbps.

John Petter, managing director of BT Consumer, said: “Super-fast broadband is helping people enjoy the internet far more than ever before. However, many providers have forgotten about the importance of fast upload speeds.

“BT believes that fast upstream speeds are vital given how people now use the internet and so we are distancing ourselves from the competition by providing the UK’s fastest upload speed.”

BT Infinity 2 will be the standard offer for new BT customers and BT ADSL subscribers upgrading to fibre.

Existing BT Infinity customers can double their speeds for no extra cost by signing a new 18-month contract.

The cheapest BT Infinity package is £30.14/month over an 18 month contract with free weekend and evening calls, including line rental paid in advance at £129/year and a £25 connection fee.

The BT Infinity fibre-to-the-cabinet service is set to expand from covering seven million homes and businesses today, to around two-thirds of premises by the end of 2014.

BT Group is also competing with other broadband providers to win Broadband Delivery UK funds through local authority broadband plans, which could see BT Infinity reach 90 per cent of the UK.